I Don't Wanna Be
by Skyler Samuels
Summary: In a world where Andre and Robbie are half-brothers, Cat is the opposite of cheery and bright, Jade is bright and nice half the time, Andre's sort of a jerk, Tori's a tutor and is occasionally called, "Tutor Girl." The gang face all the dangers and joys of the world one at a time/ Sort of a different version of Victorious. Pairings inside! Sucky summary, better story. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

**_Robbie as Lucas  
Tori as Hayley  
Cat as Peyton Andre as Nathan  
Jade as Brooke  
Beck as Julian  
Sikowitz as Coach Whitey  
Pairings: Rade, Bade, Jandre friendship, Bori friendship, Tandre, Cori friendship, Jori friendship, Rori friendship, Cade friendship, and many more.  
OCC Characters: Cat, Jade, Andre. _**

Driving down Abbey Road, Cat listens to rock music. She perishes that moment of being around no one for a while and music lets you evade to another world. She was on her way home from a basketball game, previously won by the Ravens. Hollywood Art's mascot was a Raven. Kind of like the breed of birds.

Her boyfriend, Andre Harris, was known as the best basketball player in the school. Andre Harris had a half-brother Robbie Shapiro. Robbie didn't have Andre's last name because Robbie's mom, Karen, felt like Robbie didn't deserve the last name "Harris."

When Cat opened her eyes, she almost ran over a boy in a light gray hoodie. He took his hood off and there she saw him; Robbie Shapiro. Cat honked her horn and he smiled and ran to the sidewalk. Across the street, Andre was driving the bus with his team. It was like a wild party in there.

"Yo, tell me didn't just steal the school bus?" A boy asked. "'Cause this feels like we just stole the school bus."

"Dude," Andre spoke. "We just borrowed it, alright."

"So, Andre, where's Cat?" A girl hovered over him.

Andre responded, "Who knows? Why?" Suddenly, the girl grabbed his face and kissed his lips. A train blows it's whistle in the distance. Andre continues to kiss the girl as he steers the bus.

"Look out!" Tim shouted. That got Andre's attention. He pushed the girl away and swerved to the curb. Siren wails as the train passes by and Andre knows they got caught.

* * *

**_Next Day_**

"Some of you parents see this latest incident as a tomfoolery; a little prank." A man in a beige suit spoke in front of a group of students. Personally, I see a little breaking and entering. Chief Wayman," The principal points to a man behind him wearing a cop uniform. "...sees possession and consumption by minors, and a smidgen of grand theft auto. That said, I think it's time we send a message. The following players were not involved and will not be reprimanded; Jake Jagielski, Ruben Gutierrez, Tim Smith, and Andre Harris. As for the rest of you, all players are suspended from extracurricular activities, specifically basketball for the rest of the season.

* * *

After the small meeting, Coach Sikowitz walks outside and the door opens. Out walks Dan Harris who walks to him. Coach Sikowitz turns around to face him. "So you just walk away." Dan speaks.

"Well, well. Dan Harris."

"Half the team suspended, Andre triple-teamed the rest of the season, and you say nothing."

"The inmates will not run the asylum." Sikowitz responds.

"You're despicable, you know that?" Sikowitz doesn't respond. He just starts to walk away. "Letting the dreams of this team just vanish. You're full of crap."

"It comes with old age, Danny - constipation." Sikowitz shouts and rolls his eyes.

* * *

At the river court, Robbie shoots a basket as he hangs with friends. "You guys remember Tom Dugan from grade school?"

"He used to live next door to you, right?" Robbie asked as Junk Morreti caught the ball.

"Yeah, some guy snapped him with a wet towel and he lost one of his testicles. They share a laugh and Robbie looks at Skills, one of his friends.

"Okay, Junk," Jimmy Edwards shouted from the bleachers.

"Just saying what I heard." Junk spoke for himself.

"Anyway, man, what you reading these days?" Skills asked as Junk passed the ball back to Robbie.

"Steinbeck, "The Winter of our Discontent." Robbie answered.

"Let me hear some."

"No." Robbie shook his head.

"Come on, dog. You know I be reading vicariously through you." Robbie got caught off guard when a very familiar Comet car drove on the road.

"Cat Valentine." Junk spoke. "Have you seen her webcam in her bedroom?"

Robbie still looks at the spot where Cat was driving. Junk continues, "I hear she's naked on it, like, all the time." Junk laughs. Robbie glares at him. "What? I hear things."

"You know, I saw her the other night." Robbie caught the ball once it was passed to him. "She almost ran me over, of course."

"Yeah, she pretty fine, huh?" Skills asked.

"Ah, she's all right." Laughter erupts from Jimmy, Junk, Fergie Thompson, and Mouth McFadden. "Just shoot for teams alright."

* * *

Later that day, Robbie runs into his mom's café titled "Karen's Café." He opens the door and walks in with his basketball. "Hey, mom."

"Hey, honey." He saw his mom cleaning.

"Mm, it smells good in here." He walks to the counter where his mom is cleaning the dishes and the counter. "Did you change your hair?"

"If by "change" you mean "dragged a brush through it," then yeah."

"Well, it looks nice."

"Thank you."

"The magazine pages are sticky again, little pervs." Tori spoke, holding a magazine and walking to the counter. Tori and Robbie have been friends for a long time. Tori looks up to see Robbie. "Oh, hi, Robbie, you been reading this?"

"I don't know, Tori. Is that the "Why do I hang out with these people?" issue, because you're on the cover of that, right?"

"No, actually, it's the "My best friend's an idiot," issue. And there you are." Robbie scoffed.

"Tori, would you like to join us?" Karen asked.

"Hell yes." Tori said, getting a drink first.

"So, honey, how was your day?" Karen asked Robbie when he said down.

"Good, thanks." Tori started, sitting down beside Karen. "'Good' is relative, considering a third of the world is starving, which does not change the fact that I'm clumsy as hell. Did I tell you that I fell down today? Yeah, slipped off the curb, face down, butt in the air."

"Tori," Karen started after they laughed.

"Too graphic? Sorry, I'll just be quiet." Tori said.

"So, I got something for you, Robbie."

"Actually, I found it." Tori started. "I'm sorry, not that I was looking for something specifically which implies some hideous sort of "Joey Loves Dawson" scenario and completely creep out, but, you know, we saw and..." She looked at Karen as she ran out of words. "Well, give him the book."

Karen takes a book from her back and hands it to Robbie. "Wow." Robbie states. "Julius Caesar."

"There's a tide in the affairs of men" - or something like that." Karen spoke.

"Nice. Thank you guy, thank you very much."

"Whatever, that's what you're into." Tori spoke as she chewed on her food." She clears her throat. He and Karen laugh.

* * *

Coach Sikowitz sits in his office as Robbie and Andre's uncle Keith walked up to the door of his office. He knocked on the window pane. Sikowitz signaled that he could come in. Keith smiled and opened the door.

"Well, well, Keith Harris, what do you know?"

"How you doing, Sikowitz?" He asks, taking a seat after closing the door.

"Take a load off."

"You, uh- you got a second?"

"Oh, I got a lot of seconds, or haven't you heard?"

"Oh, I heard." Keith takes out an alcohol flask. Sikowitz quickly shuts his blinds and grabs a cup.

"Pour in just a little." Sikowitz says. Keith pours in a little, but Sikowitz keeps asking for more. "Just a little more."

"That's good."

"That's good." Keith takes a drink out of the flask and Sikowitz drinks from the cup. "I saw your little brother today - Danny. He called me "Despicable.", said I crushed the dreams of young men."

"Was he talking about himself or Andre, do you think?"

"Both, I suppose." Sikowitz takes another sip from the cup. "Hey, what did you average when you played for me?"

"Oh, about 5,006 beers a night." They both laugh as Keith sits back.

"Well, at least you were consistent."

"Yeah, you gotta give me that." Keith responded. "Hey, you know, uh...Robbie plays."

"Robbie? Oh. Oh, Dan's other son."

"Well, Karen's son." Keith corrects. "Dan's on the birth certificate, but they never got married."

"Where does he play?"

"He plays at this park down by the river with a couple of other friends."

"Oh, come on, Keith. If the kid had any promise, he'd be in the gym with the real players."

"Like Andre, you mean?"

"Come on, coach." Keith leans forward. "Just take a little drive with me."

* * *

Robbie's at the river-court, playing basketball with Junk, Fergie, and Skills as Jimmy and Mouth announce. "Robbie is on fire tonight! How do you say "hot" in French?" Mouth shouted.

"Flambé." Jimmy answered.

"Robbie is flambé."

"Fergie finds Robbie who fakes out Junk again."

"They never learn, Mouth."

"That's what I'm talking about." Keith and Sikowitz are sitting in the car, watching the boys -but mostly Robbie- play.

"Aright, let's say I'm interested, and I'm not saying I am. Why put him through that?"

"He should know that he's good. Not just playground good, but good, period. He could use that in his life." Keith points to the playground.

"We could all use that in our lives."

"Yeah, but we had our chance."

"So, you and Karen- are you..."

"We're friends. You know, I'm the kid's uncle, and I'm in their lives. It is what it is."

"I remember when Dan told me Karen was pregnant right after their senior year in high school. I told him he should honor his scholarship and go to college."

"I tell you one thing - you did Karen a favor, and Robbie, too. Now maybe you could do me one." Keith looked at Sikowitz with a grin.

* * *

Cat sits in her closet, messing with pictures on Photoshop as she listened to rock music. One picture was of a pile of skulls and the other one was of a man digging snow. Andre walked into her room and walked into her closet.

"What are you wasting your time at now?"

"I didn't hear you come in." Cat looked at him then back at her computer.

"Imagine that." Andre leans down. "You know nobody listens to this crap." He turns it off and walks into the outer part of the room. Cat leans on her closet frame when she gets up.

"I waited for you tonight."

"Yeah, the guys wanted to tip a few."

"And you didn't even think to let me know?"

"That's why I came by." Andre walked to her. "You want to come?"

"With the guys?"

"And me."

"And the guys."

"You know what Cat? I'm getting really tired of this." Andre walked around. "I came here to spend time with you."

"Yeah, spend time with me and half the team."

"You want to be a bitch? That's cool. Sit in your closet, just listen to your loser rock, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"How about you _don't _see me tomorrow?" Cat shouted.

"That's fine by me. Like I don't have other options." Andre sees that he has upset Cat. He sighs and looks up at the ceiling. He then looks back at her. "I'm sorry. Cat, I'm really sorry. It's just a lot of these guys got suspended. So it's like this stupid bonding thing. Look, I wish it was just you and me. But I was hoping you'd come anyway. Make it a lot more bearable, okay?"

Cat smiled at him and he leaned in for a kiss. She leaned in to and their lips met.

* * *

The next day at Hollywood Arts, Robbie sat in class. He looked up to see Cat looking down at a piece of paper. She looked up at him and it became awkward. Coach Sikowitz walked in and called out, "Shapiro." All eyes turned to him as he cautiously got up and walked to Sikowitz.

Sikowitz and Robbie walk into the school gym and Robbie sees a couple of basketballs set on a rail. "Nice, isn't it? A lot of people like their gyms loud. I like mine like this - quiet, clean...kind of like a church. A lot of praying done here anyway. You played ball in grade school. Why'd you quit?" Sikowitz picked up a ball and turned to face Robbie who was looking around.

"I didn't." Robbie spoke.

"What? Four guys in a park, that's not exactly basketball."

"Then what do you think we're doing out there?"

"I don't know, planning a bank job? Look, I've got an opening in my lineup, varsity. It's a chance of a lifetime." Sikowitz tosses a ball to him. Robbie catches it.

"What do you say?" Sikowitz asked.

"I say those people that pray here are wasting their time. God doesn't watch sports." Robbie drops the ball to the ground and it dribbles as he walks out, beating to the rhythm of his footsteps.

* * *

Robbie is back at the river-court with the guys and he shoots a basket, and Skills is the one to catch it. "Were you going to tell us, man?" Skills asks as he hands the ball to Robbie.

"It's nothing."

"Sikowitz asked you to play on the team, and it's nothing?"

"It's nothing because I'm not playing. Not with those guys."

"Robbie, man, I've been guarding you almost every night since we were like 12 years old, right? And I won how many games?" Skills asked. "I don't know. It just seems like a waste to me, man.

"Well, it doesn't to me. Don't you guys ever think that maybe we belong here?"

"No. _We_ belong here." Skills gestured to Fergie, Junk, and himself. "You've never belonged here."

"Thanks a lot, Skills." Robbie grabbed the ball. "Just shoot for teams."

"Robbie, you know you're one of my best friends, right? Nothing's ever going to change that. But keep it real. We ain't shooting for teams. We're shooting to be your excuse, and I ain't about to be part of that." Skills starts dribbling the basketball.

* * *

Robbie runs down the sidewalk with his basketball till he reaches his house. When he reaches the top of the stairs, he sees a yellow package for him titled "Robbie Shapiro." He bends down and grabs it. He opens the door and walks into the house, a green colored house.

Once in his room, he opens the package and sees a white and blue jersey with his last name on the back and mascot "Ravens" on the front. Underneath "Shapiro" is the number 3. He takes his hoodie and shirt off and tries on the jersey. Karen looks at him as she stands in the frame of the door. Robbie turns around and knew he had to explain.

"Somebody left it at the door." Robbie said.

"Take it off." Karen walks away. Karen never wanted Robbie to play basketball because of Dan. It just reminded her of Dan even though it didn't say "Harris." Robbie sighed and turned around to face his reflection. He takes the jersey off and puts his shirt back on. He walks out of the house and walks down the stairs whilst putting his hands in his pockets. He sees Karen sitting by the bushes, gardening, except she wasn't gardening, she was looking at an album. He walks to her.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"Yes." She looks to see that Robbie has sat down next to her. "Do you know who left it?"

"Coach Sikowitz probably." Robbie sighed. "He asked me to play."

"Maybe you should."

Robbie scoffed, "You sound like Skills. Those guys refused to play today. They said they didn't want to be my excuse."

"How'd you feel about that?"

"Honestly? I was pissed. Those guys are supposed to be my friends."

"They are your friends. Do you remember that?" Karen points to a picture and lets him see the album. It was a picture of a 9 or 10 year old picture of Robbie. He was standing in front of a Christmas tree, holding a leather basketball.

Robbie laughed and said, "My first leather basketball. That was the year that Skills' told us there was no Santa Claus."

"Yeah, and I tried to talk you out of that." Robbie chuckles once Karen says that. "Then you said something I'll never forget. You said you felt bad for the kids who never figured it out, because when they grew up and had kids of their own, there wouldn't be any gifts on Christmas morning. You're a good kid, Robbie. But sometimes I feel like you're sitting out your life on account of me and I don't want that for you. My past is not your future, okay?"

* * *

Andre is lifting weights when his dad comes in. "What are you slinging?" Dan asked.

"About 160." Andre answered him.

"Give me that." Dan grabbed the weights. "Your mom called. She won't be back-" Dan paused. "What do you know about Sikowitz inviting..."

"Your son to play?"

"Don't call him that."

"Dad, he would've had our last name if Karen hadn't put his name as her maiden name."

"The fact that he could've shared your last name is only wishful thinking on his mother's part. We were young - summer after high school. We made a mistake."

"You made a mistake, all right. I mean, this guy's a zombie." Andre spoke.

"Okay."

"Look, it's kind of screwed up, all right? People talk about it." Andre grunts.

"Get out of here." Dan takes the weights. "I want you to go to this kid and encourage him _not _to play."

"I'm not afraid of him, dad."

"Well, you should be. We've worked too hard to have anyone coming in now. Anyway, this has more to do with Sikowitz and me than you."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's a long story. If you want, I'll tell you someday. But for now, I want you to go to this kid and talk to him and trust me when I tell you, Andre, there's a bigger picture and this kid's not in it."

* * *

Later, Andre is talking to his friends. "So, your pops finally mentioned the spawn, huh? They say he's got game." One of the boys says. "Maybe we could use him."

"Please." Andre says. "I can get us to the state championship with three blind guys and a cripple, which is practically what I got with you and what's left."

"So where are we going?"

"Let's go to the park." Andre and his friend go to the park to watch Robbie play. When Robbie makes a basket, Andre lets him know he's there.

"Nice shot. Think you can hit that against a double team, down by 2, packed house telling you that you suck? How about just two people telling you that you suck?"

"What do you want?" Robbie looks at him, ball on his hip.

"What do I want? What do you want, man? I mean, other than my girlfriend and my spot in the lineup, huh? None of us want you on the team, man. I don't want you. The guys don't want you. My girlfriend surely doesn't want you. But here's the deal. You and me, one on one. You can name the time and place. If you win, I'll quit the team. If I win, you can crawl back in your little hole and you remember your place in all this. Time and place, man, time and place."

Andre walks off.

* * *

Robbie is talking to Tori later about earlier. "So, Andre challenged you? Are you gonna play?

"I don't know. It's not like I have anything to prove."

"But you just don't want to show him sometimes - oh, damn!" Tori shouts when a flock of birds fly in front of Robbie and Tori.

"What is up?! I was attacked!"

"By the way, it's a murder."

"What?"

"More than one crow is a murder." Robbie tells her.

Tori scoffs, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"A parliament of owls, an exultation of larks, a murder of crows." Robbie explains.

"I think that's why people think you're weird, right there." Tori chuckles.

"Ah, man, I would like to show him sometimes, though, what a mistake he's made."

"Dan?"

"Mostly for mom...and...sometimes for me."

"So, Rob, what are ravens - I mean, more than one?"

"An unkindness."

"Guess that describes the Harris family."

* * *

Cat's car breaks down, and Keith and Robbie are working on a car at the shop. Robbie finishes telling Keith about the whole confrontation with Andre and the basketball challenge. Robbie also tells him about Sikowitz asking him to play for the team.

"Why wouldn't you play?"

"I do play, every night."

"It's not the same, Rob."

"Why? What makes it less of a game if people _don't _see it?"

"I'll tell you why." Keith starts telling Robbie one of his childhood memories. "When I was a kid, my father took me to Raleigh to see David Thompson play. I was 9 years old. I couldn't have cared less about basketball. But when Thompson stepped onto the court, he was so young, so quick, and just so graceful that I was mesmerized. I couldn't take my eyes off him until late in the game, and I look up at my dad and he's got tears in his eyes. 14,000 strangers and my father crying because he's so beautiful. He played with such poetry that he made us feel like we were a part of it. You have a gift, Rob, and it's a crime not to let people see it, to hide it in the park. It's a shame. That's why."

When Keith finishes, the phone rings. He walks to the phone and answers it. "Keith's body shop and towing."

Moments later, Robbie finds himself going to tow Cat's car. "That's me inside your head." Robbie said.

"What?"

"NOFX, "That's me inside your head" it's the lyrics from."

"I know the song." Cat snatches out her cell phone and uses it.

"Andre...it's me. Alright, well, listen, my car broke down. You're gonna have to come pick me up. So, leave the gym...Listen, it'll take you, like, 10 minutes. I'm on River Road around the curve. Well, sucks to be you."

"Listen," Robbie starts after she hangs up on him. "Are you sure you got a ride? I mean, I wait if you want."

"Yeah, that's what I want. Listen, have your dad call me with an estimate."

"My uncle?"

"If that's your story.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"It's a free country." Cat answers him.

"Why are you a cheerleader? No offense or anything, but you're about the least cheery person I know."

* * *

Cat is still waiting on Andre to come pick her up. Robbie stands looking at her beside the tow truck.

"Come on, let me give you a ride." Robbie offered. "I'll let you insult me."

"First of all, you don't know me. Second of all, you don't know me. God, why are guys such jerks?!" Cat shouts and puts her hand on her head.

"Guys or Andre?"

"Him...you."

"I don't know. We share the same father."

"Yeah, I heard that. He's kind of an ass. So that must suck having to see him around."

"It sucks for my mom. I never knew him."

"But she told you he was your dad?"

"Yeah, eventually. We used to play in junior leagues together - me and Andre."

"Basketball?"

"Yeah, and I loved it. I was good at it. You ever have something that you knew that you were better at than almost anybody else?"

"Sex...that was a joke."

"Anyway...guys kept teasing me about it, about how Andre's dad was my dad, too. So I asked my mom and she said he wasn't. But I get home, and I hear her crying in her room. I knew it was true. So I never went back. I told my mom it was because I didn't want to have to see his face. But it was mostly because I didn't want her to have to." Robbie sighs.

"Why'd you just tell me all that?" Cat asked. "I mean, we barely know each other."

"Maybe that's the point."

* * *

At the shop, Dan had just finished asking Keith about giving Andre a job here. "Andre's got a shot here, Keith. A real future."

"A real future? Let me ask you something. Do you ever even think about Robbie's future? Do you ever think about that?"

"I can't change the fact that this kid exists. If I could, I would. The truth is that I told Karen I'd take care of it but she..." Dan gets cut off by keys jingling. Robbie walks in, he throws the key, and runs out.

* * *

Robbie is now confronting Andre at the gym. "Tomorrow night, at the riverfront. But if I win, I'm going to want something else."

"What exactly is that?" Andre looked at him.

"If I win...you stay on the team. It shouldn't even affect you in anyway if I joined the team."

* * *

At the car dealership, Karen comes to see Dan.

"I love that car." Dan spoke. "I love that car. My wife's got that car. I'm guessing you're not car shopping." He watches as Karen walks to him.

"He's a boy who wants to play basketball reluctantly. I find it horrifying and amusing it takes something as simple as that to bring you around."

"I'm only thinking of the kid."

"You have no right to think of him, not today or any other day of his life."

"Are you finished?"

"I haven't even started. We've asked nothing of you, and you have delivered in fine fashion. I'll expect that to continue. If Robbie decides to play, you'll do nothing. Anything else might make me angry and detract from the pleasant, cordial side you see now."

"You know I know your son doesn't exactly fit in, but Andre is all-state, and I'm not sure why you'd want to humiliate your kid like that."

"You're right, Dan. I'd rather not humiliate him. You've done that enough to Andre."

* * *

At home, Dan sees Andre has a pierced nipple. Andre looks to see that Dan is staring at him. "What?"

"If I wanted a daughter, I would've adopted one."

"So you could abandon her, too?" Andre speaks. "That was just a joke."

"Yeah, and this bet tonight? Is that a joke, too? Or would you really quit the team? You have everything to lose here and nothing to gain."

"Sometimes what you call "everything," I call "nothing."

"I just think it's best if you don't do this, Andre. We'll find another way."

"No. Dad, I do a lot of stuff for you, almost everything. But I'm gonna do this for me."

Just then, Cat walks out of Andre's room wearing a towel.

"Hi, Mr. Harris." Cat greets him.

* * *

At the café, Keith and Karen are talking.

"So, I would have preferred a warning shot on this one. Something to let me know what was coming with Robbie." Karen spoke as she sipped some tea.

"Yeah, that's fair enough. But you should see him play, Karen. I mean, it's like - it's like poetry, you know? And he's gonna be fine."

"Yeah I know. Do you ever wonder about it, Keith? How we got to this?"

"Hanging out in the old café, lamenting the past with Tori listening from behind."

"I am not listening." Tori pops up from behind the counter. "Okay, I was. I am."

"Right. I just wondered how we got here so fast."

"I don't know. When I see Robbie in high school, it seems like a blink of an eye. But otherwise, it seems like it's been forever.

* * *

Tori joins Robbie on the roof and turns the lights on.

"Wow." Robbie stares in amazement. Tori smiles and stands next to him. "This place looks great."

"Thanks. I just finished putting up the lights. Miniature golf is never going to be the same. Your mom is worried. She's downstairs with Keith picking through her past."

"Do you think I'm being selfish playing Andre?" Robbie asks, taking a seat on the roof. Tori takes a seat next to him.

"Well, do you?"

"A little bit. I mean, if I walked away, then my mom wouldn't be downstairs worried about it now.

"You know, I don't say things like this very often 'cause it sounds weird, but...you're a really good guy, and I'm glad we're friends. But you and your mom worry too damn much."

* * *

Back at the park, Mouth is getting ready to announce the game. He grabs the microphone and sits next to Jimmy.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to a historic night of basketball. I'm Mouth McFadden, along with my gamey partner, Jimmy Edwards, and Jimmy, we're in for a treat tonight."

"And who doesn't love a treat, Mouth?" Jimmy speaks into the microphone when Mouth hands it to him. "I know I do - s'mores, ice cream, cake."

Cat is talking to Andre as he gets ready to play. "So, if you're not doing it for your dad, then why are you doing it?"

"You wouldn't get it. I guess not."

"So what if this guy plays? Are you really that threatened?"

"Well, then why do it? To prove okay, so what if he wins? What does he get?"

"He gets you." Andre walks off as spectators talk indistinctly.

Mouth starts talking into the microphone again. "Just moments before the stroke of 12:00, and still no Andre Harris."

"The natives are getting restless, Mouth, judging by the crowd that envelops our booth." Jimmy grabs the microphone and speaks into it.

"You don't have a booth." Junk snapped.

"Junk Morreti joins us now. Junk, you care to make a prediction?"

"I predict you guys will be the two biggest morons out here." A car pulls up to the river court.

"And it looks like Andre Harris has arrived, driven by car right onto the court."

The crowd starts chanting, "Andre! Andre!" Chanting continues, cheers and applause as the game starts. "Let's go, Andre!"

"Okay, folks," Mouth starts. "Here we go - 15 by ones. Make it, take it, win by one, and you can feel the intensity in the in air."

"Are you ready for this?" Andre asked Robbie.

"Why not?"

"It's your life."

"Yeah, it is."

Andre passed Robbie the ball and the game started. Robbie tricks Andre into which direction he was going and makes a basket over Andre's head.

"Oh! A 25-footer rips the silk like Jimmy Edwards in a size 3 dress."

"Go ahead, man. I'll give you that all night." Andre says. Andre gets the ball and gives it back to Robbie. Andre gets in a go-ready position as Robbie dribbles the ball. He does another 25-footer.

"Is that all you got, man? If that's all you got, this is over." Andre remarks.

"Yeah, all right!" Mouth shouts into the microphone. He passes it to Jimmy.

"This looks to be a battle, Mouth. Yeah! Yeah!"

The game goes on with both boys making great shots. Andre elbows Robbie in the face.

"No foul. Basket counts. Besides...you won't score again." says Robbie.

"Oh, the basket counts." Mouth says. "It's 14-12, game point for Andre. He could win it all right here. Andre for the win. Holy crap!" Robbie makes an unbelievable block. "Did you see that?! Someday, men will write stories about that block. Children will be named after it, Argentinean women will weep for it. Rob gets a basket, and he's down by one."

"You're down by one, man." Andre walks back to him with the basketball. "Don't choke now."

"Another dagger, and it's all tied up! I think I'm gonna puke!"

"Come on, Dre! Come on, shut him down, Andre!"

"This is it, folks...no going back now. The next basket wins it."

"He's never mentioned you, man, not once in all these years." Andre tells him.

"This is for my mom." Robbie makes the winning shot!

"Rob for the win!" Mouth shouts happily. "It's good! It's good! Robbie Shapiro takes it 15-14 and there is bedlam and delirium and felicity for all!"

"So, what did you bet?" Cat asks Robbie.

"I win, Andre stays on the team."

"Why?"

"Because it's the last think he wants. And anyway, it's not about him." Robbie looks at her. Andre comes back.

"Cat."

"I'll be seeing you." Robbie tells her as she walks back to Andre.

* * *

Andre enters his house and looks to see his dad in the living room watching TV. Dan looks at him as Andre stares at him. "Don't worry dad. Your dreams are still safe."

* * *

Robbie enters the gym and everyone stops. They stare at him as he stands there with a basketball.

_"There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood leads onto the fortune. But omitted, and the voyage of their life is bound in shallows in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat and we must take the current when it serves. Or lose the ventures before us." - Lucas Scott_


	2. The Places You Have Come to Fear Most

**Chapter 2 - The Places You Have Come to Fear Most**

At the playground court, a boat passes by as Robbie stands with a basketball. It was the night Robbie was going to play his first game in the gym.

"Be nice, be nice, and put it in there. There you go." Mouth talks.

"Rob, Rob," Skills calls him. "What up dog? Check this out. You shoot this one. See what you got." Robbie shoots and the ball goes in.

"Ahh!"

"Come on, let's move!" Mouth shouts near the car.

"Time to go." Skills walked to the car with Robbie following.

"Six-thirty, Rob!"

"Oh, come on don't gotta come. It's just a game." Robbie said.

"Right." Skills says sarcastically. "Sikowitz asked you to play on the team."

"And Andre threatens you." Junk is the next one to state the fact.

"You beat him right here one on one, you join the team." Mouth is the next one to speak.

"And now it's the first game and we ain't gotta come? Um-um. We are going. This game is for all of us." Skills tosses Robbie the ball. Robbie catches it and looks at his friends.

"Let's go, Rob!" Jimmy shouts.

* * *

A truck goes by Karen's Cafe. Everyone in it is chanting "Ravens." Karen's behind the counter and Keith walks over.

"Karen! You ready to go?"

"Oh. I'm not going. I decided to stay open. I could use the business."

"You talk to Robbie about this?"

"No. But he'll understand."

"Karen-" Tori interrupts him at the door.

"She doesn't want to go. She doesn't want to see her high school sweetheart slash your brother Dan slash the jerk who abandoned Robbie slash the father of Andre, the team's star player. Slash my wrists if I hear this story again. Let's go."

Keith looks at Karen as he steps backward toward Tori. "I think you're making a mistake." Keith told Karen on his way out.

Keith and Tori leave, leaving Karen to look after them, upset.

* * *

At the Harris house, Dan and Andre are walking as Dan talks. "Sikowitz can put this kid on the team, he can put him in the game, but he can't put him in your game. So shut him out. And shut down the opposition. You've got Broner tonight. They're pretty good so be ready."

"Alright."

* * *

Andre walks in the locker room smashing fists with a friend. He reaches his locker and glares at Robbie. Sikowitz walks in.

"Shapiro!" He shouts. Robbie follows him into his office. "You nervous?"

"A little bit."

"Good, you should be." He gives Robbie a blue and white jersey. "Just do what you've been doing all week in practice. You'll be fine."

* * *

As Robbie exits Sikowitz's office, Jimmy and Mouth walk toward him

"Robbie! You mind if we get a few words before your first game?" Mouth asked.

"Yeah, we're going to put it on the internet." said Jimmy.

"Yeah. We're going to have a webcast and everything." Mouth says as Sikowitz walks out.

"What the hell is this?"

"Well, we have this website." Mouth starts explaining to him.

"Yeah, we're sports announcers."

"Not in here, you're not. The locker rooms closed. No media." He walks off.

"Dude, did you hear that? We're media."

"Not just media; banned media." Mouth and Jimmy laugh happily and walk away. Robbie looks after them, mildly entertained.

* * *

In the locker room, the team's lined up, about to exit. They're chanting, "They don't wanna what! Or we're gonna what! Or what! Or what!"

"Alright, let's take the court."

"Ravens! Ravens! Ravens! Ravens! Ravens!"

Robbie is toward the end of the line. He's not chanting. Neither is Andre, who's behind him.

"Want my world?" Andre asked. "You've got it."

Robbie and Andre walk out, almost side by side. The players are warming up. Dan walks onto the bleachers behind Keith and Tori. He pats Keith on the shoulder.

"Keith! Hey, finally came to see your nephew play, huh, big brother?"

"Yeah, I guess you can say that." Keith responds as he and Tori share a look.

On the court, Andre shoots a basket and gets it in. Mouth and Jimmy are sitting in the audience when Mouth speaks into a recorder. "Tonight, Robbie Shapiro plays his first game for the L.A Ravens.

"That's right, Mouth. Now, the Ravens are 5 and 0. But this is their first game following the suspension of six varsity players."

Robbie shoots a basket when he hears Dan shout, "Son!"

Robbie turns around and he and Dan stare at each other uncomfortably and throws a basketball at Robbie.

"Wake up." He says when the whistle blows and the team runs over to Coach Sikowitz.

"All right, come in! Hustle! Hustle!"

Cat and Jade are standing on the edge of the gym when Jade asks, "So that's the boy who beat Robbie?" Cat nods. "Well, he's good from behind." Jade added.

"Ravens on three." Tim shouted when the hustle was over. "One, two, three!"

"Ravens!" The team shouts.

"Robbie, relax. Destiny has a way of finding you." Sikowitz tells Robbie.

Andre and another guy battle for control of the ball during the toss off. The ball goes flying.

"Come on, Andre!"

"Let's go, Robbie!" Tori and Keith shout.

Robbie goes to catch the ball and narrowly misses hitting Cat with it.

"Nice hands." Cat comments.

"Nice legs." Robbie runs back to the game leaving Cat surprised. As Robbie runs by him, Dan watches.

"Let's see some game!" Keith shouts.

An opponent has the ball and Robbie is unable to stop the opposing team from scoring a basket. Sikowitz and Dan shake their heads.

"Hey, which side you on?" Andre asks him. Cat and Jade continue to cheer.

"Go Ravens!" Cat shouts. Robbie is thrown the ball. He goes to shoot and misses. Keith and Tori wince. He tries again and misses again. Dan grins. After the third time, Andre grabs the ball and shoots it in.

Dan claps and shouts, "Go Andre!" A whistle blows.

"Out!" Sikowitz pauses. "Good!" Robbie walks over.

"It's not your night, son." Sikowitz tells him as Robbie sits on the bench and Andre runs by.

"Take some notes, punk."

* * *

In Andre's car, Cat and he are making out and Andre starts to laugh. Cat starts glaring at him.

"What? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Hey, I'm sorry." They start kissing again, but Andre laughs again. Cat moves away.

"Unbelievable."

"What? Cat, did you see how bad he sucked?

"So?"

"He was horrible. I've never seen a guy play so bad."

"And you enjoyed that?"

"Well, hell yeah. Didn't you?" Andre says. Cat looks away. "What is this, Cat? Do you like this guy or something?"

Cat laughs and moves towards him and says, "You mean more than my boyfriend who I'm trying to make out with right now?"

"Well, go put some ice on it. You ever think I might want to talk?"

Cat moves back. "No, you don't. You want to celebrate a public humiliation and I'm sorry, that's a little played out."

"Oh and being with you isn't?"

Cat glares at him and gets out of the car.

"Oh, Cat, come on, I was joking." Cat walks away and Andre rolls the window down.

"Are you getting in the car?" Andre pauses. "Please?" She still doesn't budge. "Fine." Andre throws her pompoms out the window. "Take your lame music too." He throws her CDs out as well. "And have a nice walk home." He drives away.

Cat screams after him. "Damn it, Andre! That CD was hard to find! It's an import."

* * *

Someone knocks on the door of Karen's Cafe. "It's open." Karen says and Keith walks in

"Hey."

"Is he okay?" Karen asks.

"I don't know. I didn't see him afterward." Keith pauses. "You should've been there."

"Well, you shouldn't have gone to Sikowitz."

"I thought you supported this."

"I support Robbie. I didn't have much of a choice after you went and got him on the team, did I?"

"What's going on?" Keith asks.

"I should've been there. I thought it was over, Keith, I really did. Maybe I've just been hiding. Just, I can't go back there. The place knows too much." Karen looks up.

* * *

Robbie is trying to shoot some hoops at the playground court but he's failing to score. A voice spins him around. "I guess misery really does love company." Robbie looks to see Cat.

"What are you doing here?" He asks.

"Actually, I'm not here. I was never here." Cat starts to walk away.

"You know, I shoot the ball and it goes in. I don't ask questions, I don't think about it. It's just the way it is."

"Or the way it is."

"Yes."

"Robbie, it's just a game. Who cares if the entire school, most of your friends and half the town saw you suck?"

"So you've clearly come to cheer me up." Cat smiles at him when he finishes.

"Want a ride?" Robbie offers."

* * *

At the Harris house, Dan's watching a tape of the game when Andre walks in. "Andre!" Dan shouts. Andre comes over to Dan.

"Look at this. What did you do there?"

"I was double teamed, so I found the open man."

"Wrong. You gave up a scoring opportunity in the post."

"What? Dad, I was double teamed. I scored 28 points."

"30 points would've looked better to the scouts, don't you think?" Dan pauses. "Go to sleep. You look winded in the fourth quarter. We'll go for a run together in the morning."

"You wonder why Mom extends those business trips." Andre mumbles as he starts to walk away.

* * *

A truck pulls to a stop outside of Cat's house. Cat looks at him and asks, "Look, you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Shoot." Robbie responded.

"Why'd you decide to do it? Join the team? Because you don't exactly fit in here, do you?"

"The game, I guess. I love the game." Robbie answered.

"Right. The same reason I cheer. It's all a big game. Why not just stay on the playground? Why join the varsity?"

"I want to know if I'm good."

"Well, if you ask my opinion, we all just wasted a perfectly good evening; you, me, and everyone else in there."

Robbie asks, "Then why do you do it? I mean, do you really like it or not?"

"If I say that I like it, then I'm just another cheerleader. But if I say that I hate it, then I'm either a liar or a fraud. Either way I lose." Cat answers and goes to get out but turns to ask Robbie, "Do you want to come in?"

"What about Andre?"

"What about him?" Cat gets out and Robbie thinks about it, then gets out and follows her to the door. "What are you doing?"

"Um, you just said..."

"I didn't invite you to come in. I asked if you wanted to." Cat pauses. "Thanks for the ride." Cat walks inside and shuts the door in Robbie's face.

* * *

Karen is sitting at home waiting for Robbie to arrive. He walks in and looks at her. "Hi honey." She greets him."

"I looked for you."

"Yeah, we were, uh, busy at the café. Which is the good thing, right?"

"Sure." Robbie said even though he felt slightly hurt that his mom didn't close the shop to go watch her own son play. Robbie starts to walk away but she stops him.

"Robbie!" He turns around. "I'm sorry I missed it."

"Yeah, me too." Robbie responded. She watches him go to his room upset.

* * *

Cat's web cam is up, and the real Cat is shown. The phone rings and she picks it up. Seeing it is Andre, she hangs up. Cat's making a drawing. It's of a car pulling away from a girl. The phone rings again, and she picks it up again. She answers it this time.

"I'm sorry." She hears Andre's voice on the other side of the phone.

"Cat's not here right now, just her lame music."

"Look, I'm really sorry, it's just...this guy's on the team now, and my dad's been hammering me about it." He pauses. "But I shouldn't take it out on you. I know that." As he talks, Cat covers her webcam.

"Andre, I'm tired of this."

"I know. I just...look, I haven't been very good to you lately and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, okay?" He pauses. "Just say it's okay so that when I see you tomorrow we can start being us again. Okay, Cat?"

"Okay." She looks at her drawing. The words "It's not okay" are written across the top."

* * *

At Hollywood Arts, all the teens are in class. "Early in his career, Hemingway was frustrated. He was a good writer who wanted to be great. And eventually, he discovered that less is more." The teacher pauses. "Cat, describe Robbie using just one word." Everyone looks at Cat.

"Choke." Everyone laughs.

"Okay, be quiet please." The teacher says. "Thank you. Robbie, care to respond and describe Cat?"

"Lonely." Robbie looks at Cat and the class "oohs". Andre raises his hand.

"Yes, Andre?"

"I can describe Robbie in one word." Robbie looks at him. "Crap."

"Alright, alright, that's enough!" Cat looks shocked when Robbie jumps out of his chair and attacks Andre. The two proceed to fight.

Before Robbie knows it, he's in Sikowitz's office. Sikowitz looks at them with anger and says, "I'd stand up and every time I do, somebody kicks me in the butt for putting you on the team. Sit down!"

Robbie sits and Sikowitz continues, "Boy, I must be getting senile, because I thought you were different. I stuck my neck out for you. I trusted you."

"I shouldn't have hit him. You're right."

"Dang right, I'm right."

Robbie pauses. "I don't think I can do this."

"Right; one bad game and you just run away."

Robbie leans forward. "I didn't run away." His voice then turns sincere. "That's why I'm in your office."

* * *

In the locker room, Tim and Andre are talking about the fight that took place in the classroom. "So what happened after you tackled him." Tim asks.

"Kelly broke it up. Any longer I might've destroyed him."

"Or he might've beaten your butt." Jake Jagielski joined in.

"What do you know about it, Jagielski?"

"What do any of us know about anything? But if I had to take a guess, I'd say that he tackled you first. And I'm pretty sure that you were at the bottom of it when Mr. Kelly broke it up."

"Well, you're wrong." Andre responds. "Why don't you grab a rebound every now and then, huh?"

"What, are you putting on makeup?" Sikowitz shouts when he comes into the locker room. "Get in the gym and start warming up." Andre and Tim start to leave. Sikowitz directs something to Jake, "Jagielski, when you find the pumps to match your skirt, you my meet us in the gym." He and Jagielski both smile. They have a different relationship than Sikowitz has with the rest of the players.

"Hey, this is just the start of it for you." Andre tells Robbie as Robbie opens his locker.

"Andre!" Sikowitz shouts. Andre leaves and Robbie gets ready.

* * *

Later, Tori is playing the rooftop mini-golf course when Robbie comes up. She looks at him and says, "Any side effects?"

"From what?" He asks.

"Side effects from your amnesia."

"I'm talking about how you must've gotten amnesia because I know that you would've mentioned that you got into a fight today." Tori pauses. "Are you okay, Robbie?"

"Yes." He pauses. "You ever wake up from a really good dream and try to get back to sleep? Or you got the flu and you promise yourself that you'd appreciate normal so much more if you could just get back to it?"

"Yeah."

"That's the way I feel. I just want things to go back to the way they were."

"With basketball?"

"With everything."

* * *

"You know, it's really too bad Robbie is poor and he can't play because he is fine." Jade pauses. She and Cat were hanging out in Cat's room. "Hey, I think it's really good that you're fighting with Andre again."

"You do?"

"Yeah, every time you guys fight I get to hear new music."

Cat kicks her playfully and she laughs. Jade says, "Hey, did you buy the new Beyoncé?"

"No."

"You know, Cat, I know you're all Gwen Stefani, plaid skirt, I'm a bad-butt, but we love you anyway, and you know why? Friday nights, when it is game time, there you are as one of us."

"P.S. Gwen Stefani is not a bad butt." Cat pauses. "You ever look past it, Jade?"

"Past what?"

"All of it; high school, basketball, and just the whole popularity drama?"

"Yeah, I mean, I think about the future sometimes and it scares me. But then I think I'll go to college, I'll join the right sorority, I'll marry a rich guy...unless I get fat."

Cat nods, seemingly shocked by the shallowness.

* * *

"Look, it's only one game, Robbie." Keith says as he and Robbie stand in "Keith Scott's Car and Body Shop". "Even Jordan played lousy in his first pro game."

"Michael Jordan scored 16 points in his first pro game."

"Yeah, I know that. I just didn't think you did. All I'm saying is, you know, you've got to shake it off."

"What if I can't do it, Keith? I mean maybe I can't play at this level."

"You can."

"Well, maybe not. And plus, it's all of them. I don't fit into their world. I never will. It's stupid."

"Even Jordan got cut from his high school varsity team and he did okay." Keith paused as a thought of Karen slipped through his mind. "What did your mom say about it?"

"I haven't talked to her yet."

"Well, you should."

"Why?"

"Because she deserves it. I mean, she's going through this thing, too. You're not the only one." Keith looks inside Cat's car and whistles. "It's a rule of life...the prettier the girl, the messier the car, it's a real turnoff, huh?" Keith's not exaggerating. The car is truly disgusting. Robbie reaches in and pulls out a sketchbook. Opening it, he finds a letter to Thud Magazine and a few sketches.

"Those are my sketches!" Cat shouts and walks up behind Robbie and grabs the sketchbook.

"Um...I wasn't looking."

"This is personal, alright. I don't read your diary!"

"I don't have a diary."

"No? Dear Diary, my daddy doesn't love me." Cat mocked. "P.S. Stay out of my stuff!" She storms off.

* * *

Andre's lifting weights outside the house when Dan walks up to him. "What's this I hear about a fight?" He asks.

"It was nothing." Andre says.

Dan asks, "Did you win?"

"Dad, it was nothing!" He shouted.

"No, son, it was something, because if it was nothing, the principal wouldn't have called me at the dealership. Do you realize how fast a suspension or bad reputation can ruin your prospects?"

"Dad, he was hitting on my girlfriend! What do you want me to do?"

"Your girlfriend? Andre, if you're going to get in a fight, then gets in a fight over something important. Did you get hurt?"

"No."

"Okay, good." He starts to walk away but stops when Andre asks if he did. "Me? Why?

"He wasn't swinging at me, Dad, he was swinging at you."

* * *

"So, you gonna tell me about the fight or you wanna just assume I know about it while I yell at you?" Karen, Tori, and Robbie are sitting at a table in Robbie's house. He glares at Tori.

"Is that the phone? I'll get it." The phone's clearly not ringing but Tori gets up anyway.

"Still here."

"Mom, he had it coming. You know he said..."

"No. When they called me today, I was certain they had the wrong boy. And then they told me they had two Harris' and I could take my pick. Honestly, Robbie, fighting in class? Fighting at all?"

"The guy was being a jerk."

"And this is suddenly a surprise to you? He hasn't been a jerk before?"

"No. He's always a jerk."

"So why go down to his level?" Karen pauses. "This wouldn't have anything to do with playing poorly, would it?"

"How would you know? You weren't even there!" Robbie shouts angrily. Karen, shocked and saddened, gets up and leaves.

"I'm sorry, Mom...Mom! I'm s-"He gives up. He looks out the window to see Cat at the building, Thud Magazine. She doesn't enter and drops her sketchbook in the trash. Robbie walks out and runs to the trash can. He reaches in and pulls the sketchbook out, then looks at Thud Magazine.

* * *

Robbie walks outside the next morning and sits down with Karen on the bench. "How'd you sleep?" She asked.

"Not so good. I had this really bad dream where I was a jerk to my mom."

"Listen." They both say.

"Jinx." He says and playfully punches Karen's shoulder.

"Hey." She punches him back and he laughs.

"Sorry."

"No. I'm sorry. I should've told you the truth about why I couldn't be there. I- I really wanted to Rob, but the idea of walking into that gym..." Karen pauses. "That's where he told me he was going away to college without me. That's where everything changed." They're both quiet. "I don't regret one second of one day with you, okay? I don't. But that was a hard day in that gym. And it was basketball that he chose. And I'm sorry that you have to hear things like that, but I don't want to lie to you either."

"I'm sorry you had to live it." They hug.

* * *

Andre and Dan are outside walking. Andre is listening to Dan as he tells him something. "Look, I want to talk about what's happening with the team. I know you think I've been hard on you, but that's because I see the big picture here. Sikowitz's not going to bench this kid just because of one bad game."

"So what? Let him embarrass himself."

"No, it's more than that. Back when I played for Sikowitz, his word was law. He was always right even when he was wrong. So eventually, I called him in on it."

"And he benched you in the state championship."

"Yeah, so he claimed. He covered and acted like he benched me." Dan continued. "But you should know the truth. I refused to go back in that game. We were ahead in the fourth quarter, and Sikowitz wanted to stall. What did I tell you about playing with the lead?"

"Be aggressive."

"Exactly. Be aggressive. Plus, there were scouts who were there to see me. This guy was checking me. He was going to some big college back in Tinkham, so I did. I disobeyed Sikowitz and I scored on him.

"Nice." Andre and Dan come to a stop in front of their house and Dan helps Andre stretch his arms.

"Yeah, so Sikowitz called a time out and starts screaming about how it's his system that got us there and no one player was bigger than the team. So I said down and called his bluff."

"And they lost."

"Yeah, I felt bad for the guys. But he needed to know I'm the one who got us there. Not him and his system. Listen, Andre, I don't want you to back off this kid. No matter how poorly he plays, Sikowitz's just using him to get back at me. Eventually I'll deal with Sikowitz but for now, it's just you and me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay." Andre walks away.

* * *

Robbie is walking in the library and Jagielski is behind him.

"Hey Robbie." Jagielski falls into step behind Robbie. "Tough game the other night."

"Yeah, it sure was." He's looking at Jake weird.

"It happens." There's a short pause till Jake speaks again. "So you read a lot, huh?"

"Yeah." He answers.

"Yeah, I got something for you. Listen, I know we haven't had really got a chance to talk much since you joined the team but I just kinda wanted to stay out of your way. Give you a chance to chill, you know." Jake pauses and then realizes he never introduced himself. "Oh, I'm Jake."

"Yeah, I know." Robbie shakes his hand.

"There's a lot of talk about your one on one with Andre. Man, I wish I could've been there."

"Ah, it was no big deal."

"You know Andre, he's...he's a hell of player he really is. But he buys into all of this nonsense. You've got him scared; fear changes everything." Jake hands Robbie a copy of the book Atlas Shrugged.

"Atlas Shrugged?"

"Yeah, you read it?"

"No."

"It's good." He responds. "Anyway, you're gonna be fine. Just remember...don't let him take it."

"I don't know what that means."

"Yeah, I know. But you will soon." Jake says and leaves as Robbie looks after him then back at the book.

* * *

Everyone's back in Mr. Kelly's room. They're sitting at their desks as he teaches. "Okay, we're going to try out little Hemingway project again. But in order to avoid a bar fight," He looks at both Robbie and Andre. "We're going to do it on paper. Now you don't have to put your names on these. Simply write one word, one single word, to describe what you want most in your life right now."

* * *

Robbie is attempting to shoot the ball into the hoop when Andre walks over and grabs the ball. "It's like this." Andre shoots the ball in as Robbie rolls his eyes. "You can't do it can you?" Andre pauses. "That's beautiful. I always wondered about it. We all do it, right?" He pauses again. "What happens when it's gone? But see, I've never seen anybody lose it; like really lose it...until now."

Andre shoots again then gives the ball to Robbie. "Go ahead, man. Prove me wrong."

"I don't have to prove anything to you."

"That's pathetic, and it's too bad, really. I mean, I was looking forward to taking you down slowly, but now? Hell, what's the point? You already know it's over." Andre starts to walk away but stops and turns around. "I'd say see you at practice, but we both know you're not going to be there." He pauses. "Why humiliate yourself, right?"

As Andre walks away, Robbie throws the ball and it hits Andre's car. "You missed again."

* * *

At the gym, the team is practicing as Sikowitz takes attendance. "Robbie Shapiro!" He pauses. "Robbie Shapiro!" There's no answer and Sikowitz shakes his head, disappointed.

* * *

Cat's picking up her car and Robbie is behind the counter as Cat fills out the forms. "No practice today?" Cat asks. Robbie doesn't answer; instead, he throws her sketchbook on the counter. "What, are you stalking me?"

"I thought someone should see them."

"Well, it's none of your business."

"You know what? You're right; it's none of my business. I wouldn't know anything about it."

"I know you don't." Cat speaks as she starts to leave.

"Look, just tell me why you didn't submit them. Your stuff is good." Robbie says walking out from the counter.

"It's not good enough."

"Look, Cat, why not?"

Cat turns around, "I want to draw something that means something to someone. You know, I want to draw blind faith or a fading summer or...just a moment of clarity. It's like when you go and you see a really great band live or for the first time, you know, and nobody's saying it but everybody's thinking it - 'We have something to believe in again.' I want to draw that feeling. But, I can't. And if I can't be great at it then I don't want to ruin it. It's too important to me." She starts to leave.

"Yep, me too." Robbie mumbles. Cat turns around and looks at him before getting in her car and starting it. "Hey, about your sketch up?"

"What about them? They don't mean anything to anybody, do they?" Cat pulls out and Robbie looks after her.

* * *

Dan walks into Sikowitz's office and walks up to his desk.

"People who value their lives usually knock first." Sikowitz starts talking and looks up and sees Dan. "Oh, that explains it."

"It's like a time capsule in here."

"What can I do for you, Danny?"

"Well...you can let it go."

"That's definitely the pot calling the kettle back, isn't it?" Sikowitz laughs.

"If you got a problem with me, Sikowitz, don't take it out on André."

"What problem would that be, Danny?"

"Oh, I think you know; the state championship. Now you've gone and humiliated Karen's son in some feeble attempt to get even.

"Karen's son...that's a very convenient way of putting it...It might interest you to know that Karen's son has taken himself off the team. Does that make you happy, Danny? Seeing the demise of the kid you fathered and then abandoned."

"Hey, move Andre back to shooting guard and you might finally win that state championship." Dan starts to leave but stops in his tracks when Sikowitz speaks.

"You're just destroying kids' lives left and right, aren't you?"

"Well, you've made a career out of it."

* * *

There aren't any students in Mr. Kelly's classroom anymore and Mr. Kelly is sitting at his desk, going through a stack of small papers the kids wrote there word on. One of them says the word "truth." Then another one says, "Revenge.", along with another one that says "answers."

* * *

Robbie is sitting on the picnic table at the river court as Sikowitz pulls up, gets out of his car, and walks over to Robbie. "We missed you at practice."

"I can't do it."

"You want to know something?" Sikowitz takes a seat beside him. I have had 35 winning seasons. Do you know what keeps me up at night? College jobs I never took. I could've been having a way of doing that."

"Yeah." Robbie nods.

"We got a game tomorrow night. You're on my team until rip-off. The rest is up to you." Robbie nods. "Look, son, there's no shame in being afraid. Hell, we're all afraid. What you've got to do is figure out what you're afraid of. Because when you put a face on it, you can beat it. Or better yet, you can use it." Sikowitz pauses. "Think about it."

Sikowitz leaves and Robbie is clearly thinking about it.

* * *

Cat's lying on her bed reading a magazine as Andre paints her toenails. "You've got some ugly toes, girl."

"No I don't."

"Yeah, you do. They're practically fingers."

"Well, then just focus on the middle one."

"Aw, come on." Andre lies down next to her. "I was just joking. I love your toes." Andre pauses. "So I'm thinking about quitting the team."

"Right." Cat sarcastically says.

"No, I'm serious. I don't even like it anymore. Sikowitz can't stand me. It's never good enough for my dad."

Cat's getting excited; she likes this. She's actually smiling. "I think you should. Why not, right? I mean, you can quit the team and I'll quit cheerleading and then...we can just walk away from it. Andre let's do it!"

* * *

Tori and Robbie are walking down the street when Tori bring up a subject. "Did you ever figure out your porn name?"

"What are you talking about?" Robbie raises his eyebrows.

"Your porn name. Um, you know, you take the name of your first pet and your mother's maiden name and you put them together. What was the name of your first pet?"

"You know that. I had a dog named Rocket."

"Oh, Rocket! Ah! I loved Rocket!" Tori paused. "So your mother's maiden name is Shapiro. Rocket Shapiro!" Tori laughed. "Nice."

"What's yours?"

"Uh, oh, I had a bunny, named Bunny."

"You had a bunny named Bunny?"

"Yes, I did. And my mother's maiden name is Beaugard. So...nice."

"Bunny Beaugard." Robbie says and Tori repeats him.

"Bunny Beaugard."

"Dawson's Freak; starring Rocket Shapiro and Bunny Beaugard."

"Nice." Robbie says.

Tori shouts, "Shut up!" Robbie starts to walk away but she stops him. "Hey, um, this game tonight. You're not playing anymore?"

"No." Robbie paused. "You know I've never walked away from anything before, Tori?"

"Yeah, you haven't."

"But I can't do it. And even worse, I don't know why I can't do it. You know, it's like, no matter how confusing or screwed up life got, the game always made sense. It was mine, you know. And in a lot of ways, it's who I am. But I can't be that person in their gym, or in their uniforms, or...in their world."

"I hear you, Rob. But I know you, and I know that no matt what happens you're still going to be the same guy you always were. No uniform, a...whatever is gonna ruin that, you know?" Tori paused. "Call me later. We'll go get some pizza."

* * *

Robbie flips through Cat's sketchbook at him. He stops on a sketch with a bunch of similarly dressed people with one exception. Over it, it says, "They are not you." Karen walks in with a lot of laundry.

"Hey." Robbie looks up once he hears her.

"I took the night off. I thought I'd take in a basketball game."

"Sorry mom."

"No, Rob, I'm sorry. I've always loved the game, even in the junior leagues." Karen laughs before continuing. "I remember when they issued you your first jersey, and I couldn't get you out of that. You wore that thing for weeks. Then you decided to quit playing. Do you remember why?"

Robbie looks upset but doesn't answer. "Robbie?"

"I didn't want to see his face."

"Dan."

"I didn't want to be like him. And I was afraid that I'd become him if I played." Robbie paused. "In the gym, I felt like he had a piece of me. I never felt like that on the playground."

"Well, I'd say he's taken enough from us. I took the night off to watch my son play again the way that he used to when he loved the game more than anything." Karen sets Robbie's laundry down and starts to leave.

"Mom?" Karen pokes her head back in. "Thank you."

"It's hard to fight the things that we're afraid of. Sometimes we just need a little help." Karen leaves and Robbie looks back down at the sketches.

* * *

A man is closing up at Thud Magazine when Robbie runs over. "Hey! Hold on!" Robbie reaches the man and taps him on the shoulder. "Here, could you take a look at these? You won't be disappointed."

"Sure. Okay." The man takes the sketches and Robbie runs off.

Tori is working behind the counter when she sees Robbie run past. Her lips form a small smile.

Andre's about the leave the house and Dan's following behind him. "It's time to focus now, Andre. Put everything out of you reminds that bothers you." His voice starts to get echo-y. "I don't want you to think about Sikowitz. I don't want you think about your teammates. Let them think about you, son. The other team's thinking about you and they're scared. I'll see you at the game."

Andre, looking upset, starts to leave.

* * *

The cheerleaders are already warming up when Cat walks in. She sits next to Jade. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show." Jade said.

"It's game night. Where else would I be?"

* * *

In the hallway by the locker room, Dan walks quickly, trying to stop Robbie. "Uh, son!" Robbie turns around surprised. Dan's surprised too considering he didn't know it was Robbie.

"Give this to my boy, would you?" Dan hands Robbie Andre's gym bag and leaves. Another voice spins Robbie around. He looks to see Jake.

"Don't let him take it; your talent." Jake paused. "It's all yours." Jake takes the bag from Robbie, saving him the embarrassment. Robbie looks back in Dan's direction, upset.

* * *

Karen and Keith walk into the gym and Karen sees Dan in the audience. Cat and Jade are cheering with excitement.

* * *

Cat's artwork is being looked at by the Thud Magazine guy.

* * *

The guys are about to file out. "Don't choke." Andre silently tells Robbie as he stands next to him. The team runs out and Robbie turns to Cat.

"Cat!" He shouts, catching her attentions. She looks at him. "Your art matters. It's what got me here in the first place." As he says that, her lips split into a small smile.

All the team's hands are placed on top of each other as a smiling Sikowitz looks on. "Let's go, let's go! Ravens on three! One, two, three!"

"Ravens!" The team shouts before spreading out on the court. However, Robbie stayed behind. Sikowitz looked at him.

"You're gonna be okay."

"Yeah, I am." Robbie sees Dan in the bleachers. They look at each other and Robbie turns around to join his teammates.

_"Do not let your fire go out, spark by the irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists. It is real. It is possible. It is yours." - Lucas Scott_


End file.
